The Flow Rates activity is highly recommended both for math teachers and for science teachers in all fields. It can be used effectively for a variety of content applications and at various points in a course sequence. By allowing students to practice making and testing hypotheses about liquid flowing through a simple burette, it provides an excellent introduction to the scientific method. The collection and analysis of real-time data provides students with the opportunity to use their graphing and algebra skills in a real problem-solving situation. Finally, it facilitates a direct mental mapping between students' demonstration observations and mathematical modeling.

TEACHER RESOURCES Teacher Materials Student Activity Student Assessment Learning Goals/Standards COMPUTER MODELS STELLA Versions isee Player software Right-click to download the models PC Format Mac Format Vensim Version Vensim PLE Software Right-click to download the model Flow Rates Model Web-based Simulation

THE MODEL DIAGRAM THE EQUATIONS Burette_Volume_in_ml(t) = Burette_Volume_in_ml(t - dt) + (Inflow - Outflow) * dt INIT Burette_Volume_in_ml = 20 Inflow = 7 Outflow = 1.05 * sqrt(Burette_Volume_in_ml) APPLICATIONS A lake or pond, fed by one river or stream, and drained by another An individual cell's water balance A specific organ or cavity's normal range of hydrostatic pressure (e.g., urine in a bladder) An organism's overall fluid balance Kinetics, relative reaction rates, and dynamic equilibrium in chemical reactions Nuclear binding energy, fed by particle bombardment and drained by radioactive decay How will the time needed to fill your bathtub be affected by an ill-fitting drain stopper? How long will it take you to go broke if you spend more than you earn? What kind of function has a rate of change which is proportional to itself?

THE OUTPUT

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